Car-coupling



(No Mode 1.)"

G. W. CLAYTON.

GAR GOUPLING.

Patented Oct. 22,1895.

ANDREW BAGRANAMAPHUTU'LTHUAWASN INGTDN.D.C.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

GEORGE W. CLAYTON, OF LEBANON, IOWA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 548,295, dated October22, 1895.

Application filed May 25,1895. Serial No. 550,728. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. CLAYTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lebanon, county of Van Buren, and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings andAttachments Connected Therewith, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specificationsuiiciently full, clear, and accurate to enable carbuilders to make,apply, and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a car-coupling which is simplein construction, efficient in operation, durable, of few parts, andwhich can be operated without the necessity of going between the cars.An additional object is to provide a device which will indicate to theswitchman the condition of the coupling, whether in position forcoupling or for engaging an adjoining car, without the act of couplingbeing performed.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain details ofconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter specificallydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows the end of a car with mycoupling and operative means applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalperpendicular section of Fig. 1, taken on a line passing through thecoupling and operative means. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of Fig. 2,taken through the center of the coupling-head, showing the pivoted doorand spring. Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the switchmans indicatorin position for holding the coupling-pnin an inoperative position. Fig.5 is a perpendicular sectional View of the coupling-head, showing thetwo positions of the link and pin adapted to engage a draw-head on anadjacentcar which is lower than or on a level with the prescribedstandard. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the coupling-head, illustrating theshape or form of the hole adapted to the peculiar construction ofcoupling-pin used. Fig. 7 is a view of the door detached, showing thelip and groove under the same.

Like figures of reference designate like part throughout the severalviews.

Oommencing with the operating means, 1 is a horizontal rod journaled tothe end of the car-bod y by suitable clips, as shown, and having thecrank-handles 2 2. Rigidly attached to the rod is an arm 3, having theprojecting part 4. A plate 5 is attached to the car-body in the rear ofthe arm 3, to serve as a stop to limit the movement of the arm.

6 is a heavy rod which joins the arm 3 and coupling-pin l0 in such a wayas to allow a slight movement ateach of the joints. The coupling-pin isprovided with ribs 11 11, adapted to the hole in the coupling-head, asshown in Fig. 6 at 9 9.

7 is the switchmans indicator, having the forked arm 8 for engaging thecrank-handle 2, as clearly'shown in Fig. 4. The indicator should bepainted White or some other distinguishing color on the two facesexposed to view-when it is in operative position.

The coupling proper is made up of two parts, the head 9 and the strap14, the latter bent upon itself, as shown, provided with a tail-bolt,which can be inserted from the rear and connected with the head by abolt 16. vA filling-piece 15, of wood or metal, is also inserted betweenthe arms of the strap and so shaped at the end as to snugly fit theopening in the rear of the coupling-head. The coupling-head has aperpendicular hole for receiving the coupling-pin of a shape or form, ashereinbefore described, adapted to the ribs 11 on the sides of the pin.A pivoted door and spring are located in a recess inthe body of thecoupling-head, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 and designated bythe numerals12 and 13. It will be observed that the recessl in which the door andspring are located is larger than the opening which receives thecoupling-link, and therefore that the door and spring must be placed inposition from the rear, the bolt 16 being removed and the coupling-headdetached for that purpose. By this ,construction no foreign matter canmake its way into the recess and render the door and spring inoperative.Water, snow, and ice are entirely excluded.

The modus operando' of the coupling and attachments is as follows: Whenthe switchman or yardman desires to transfer a car from one part of theyard to another and not have it couple with another car with which itcomes in contact, he raises the crank-handle of the IOO operating deviceand causes it to engage the arm 8 of the switchmans indicator, as shownin Fig. 4. In this position the projection 4 of the arm 3 engages theplate 5 and the pin is held permanently in a partially-withdrawnposition, as shown in Fig. 2, and the act of coupling cannot take place.The indicator 7, which revolves through the arc of a circle on suitablejournals to a position adapting it to,

support the crank-handle, exposes its white or painted surfaces in thisits operative position. This indicates to the observer in any part ofthe yard that the adjacent cars are not coupled.

If it is desired that a car shall couple with another and advancing car,the coupling-pin is withdrawn and set in the position shown in Fig. 2,the end of the pin resting upon and supported by theforwardly-projecting lip of the door 12. In this position the switchmansindicator does not engage the crank-handle, but occupies its loweredposition, in which it serves as a support or step for the brakernan inascending to the top of the car. The link also is set in the positionshown in Fig. 2, en gaging the door. It is obvious that the advancingcar when its draw-head engages the link will force the same backwardagainst the door, rotating it on its pivot, compressing the spring 13,and allowing the coupling-pin, deprived of its support, to drop bygravity to its lowest position and at the same time pass through theopening in the link.

If it is desired to coupleacar to an advanc ing car which has adraw-barsomewhat lower than the standard, the crank-handle is re volved so as tobring the coupling-pin to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5. Itwill be seen that in this position the ribs 11 of the pin engage withthe edges of the link and regulate and determine the position of thesame. Byrevolvingthecrank-handlethe link can be made to occupy anydesired position within limits which will adapt it to engage the openingin the couplinghead of the advancing car. If it is desired that the carshall couple with another car having the standard height of draw-bar,the crank-handle is allowed to fall to its lowest position, which willcause the link and pin to take the positions shown in dotted lines inFig. 5. To effect this with certainty the rod 6 and arm 3 are madesufiiciently heavy that taken in connection with the pin lO the weightwill beV inoperative through the presence of foreign matter-such asdirt, snow, or ice,-and that the coupling-head and draw-bar being madeintwo pieces and easily detachable the former can be readily replaced whenbroken and at a very small expense.

While I have shown and described specific constructions adapted toperform the required functions for securing the objects hei-einbeforeset forth, I do not wish to be confined to said particular and exactconstructions, inasmuch as many changes in shape, proportions, size, andkinds of elements may be made without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination in a car coupling device of the crank handle, as 2,and the switchmans indicator, provided with means for engaging the saidcrank handle and positively locking and retaining the said indicator ina raised and outwardly projecting position, substantially as described.

2. The switchmans indicator, as 7, pivoted to the outer wall of the carbody and adapted in its lowered position to serve as a step and in itsraised position to engage the crank handle of the operating device, insubstance as described.

3. The combination in a car coupling of a draw bar, a draw head, acoupling pin, a rod provided with a crank handle for raising andlowering the pin, a switchmans indicator having an arm to engage thecrank handle and lock it in a raised position, connecting means be tweenthe pin and the rod consisting of the arm 3 having the projection 4engaging the plate 5, and the rod 6, substantially as described.

4. The combination in a car coupling of the following elements, to wit:the draw head 9 having a door and spring, a strap 14 bent upon itselfand joined to the coupling head by bolt 16, the filling piece 15 snuglyfitting the opening in the rear of the coupling head, and the tail boltadapted to be withdrawn as shown, in substance as set forth.

5. The car coupling composed of the tail bolt, the strap 14, the fillingpiece 15, the coupling head 9 having the door and spring adapted tosupport the coupling pin, andthe bolt 16 passing through both the strapand coupling head and detachably securing one to the other, whereby abroken coupling head can be easily and cheaply replaced, substantiallyas described.

6. The car coupling `consisting of the tail bolt, the strap 14, thefilling piece 15, the coupling head 9, the bolt 16, and the coupling pinhaving the ribs 9 as shown adapted to the opening 9 9 in the couplinghead, substantially as described.

7. The coupling consisting of the casting 9 having a longitudinalopening from end to end, a strap 14 bent upon itself as shown, thefilling piece 15 located between the arms of ICO IIO

i the strap and its forward end fitting the longitudinal opening incasting 9, the bolt 16 passing through the casting, strap and fillingpiece, and the tail bolt, in substance asset forth.

8. The combination in a car coupling of the rod 1 having the crankhandles 2 2, the arm 3 having the projection 4, the rod 6, the couplingpin 10, the draw head 9, the strap 14, the filling piece 15, and thebolt detachably securing the draw head to the strap, substantially asdescribed.

9. The combination in a car coupling device of the draw bar strap, bentto a U shape as shown, the coupling head, detachably secured to thestrap by a bolt, the coupling pin having the ribs, the rod 6, the arm 3,the rod 1 having the crank handle 2, and the switchmans indicator havingthe arm 8 to engage the handle to hold the pin in a raised position,substantially as described.

10. In a car coupling device the means for raising and lowering the pinconsisting of the rod 6, the arm 3 having the projection 4 which in itsraised position engages the plate 5, the journaled rod 1 and the crankhandles, and

the switchmans device engaging one of the crank handles to hold it in araised position, substantially as described, whereby by reason of theprojection 4 engaging the plate 5 the coupling pin cannot be entirelywithdrawn.

1l. The coupling device consisting of a draw bar strap, U shaped asshown, a coupling head joined to the strap by abolt whereby the head canbe easily renewed when broken, a coupling pin, a rod having crankhandles, means for locking the same in a raised position, an arm as 3having the projection 4 engaging in its highest position the plate 5,and the rod 6, substantially as described.

12. In a car coupling the combination of the strap 14, the coupling head9 having the pivoted door 12 and spring 13 adapted to be inserted inposition through the rear opening of the head, the Iilling piece 15snugly tting the said opening, and the bolt 16, substantially asdescribed.

GEORGE W. CLAYTON.

Witnesses:

W. T. SMITH, JAS. R. BLACK.

